Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average analyst estimate is for profit of 87 cents per share, a rise of 11.5% from the company’s actual earnings for the year-ago quarter. The average estimate is the same as three months ago. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate was unchanged. It also has not changed during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 10.3% compared to last year’s $3.75.

Past Earnings Performance: The company topped estimates last quarter after missing forecasts the quarter prior. In the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, it reported net income of 90 cents per share against a mean estimate of profit of 82 cents per share. In the third quarter of the last fiscal year, it missed forecasts by 7 cents.

Wall St. Revenue Expectations: On average, analysts predict $6.3 billion in revenue this quarter, a rise of 24.5% from the year-ago quarter. Analysts are forecasting total revenue of $26.77 billion for the year, a rise of 14.5% from last year’s revenue of $23.38 billion.

Analyst Ratings: Analysts are high on the stock, with 16 analysts rating it as a buy, none rating it as a sell and three rating it as a hold.

A Look Back: In the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, profit rose 30.8% to $153.2 million (89 cents a share) from $117.1 million (65 cents a share) the year earlier, exceeding analyst expectations. Revenue rose 18.7% to $6.25 billion from $5.27 billion.

Key Stats:

On the top line, the company is looking to build on four-straight revenue increases heading into this earnings announcement. Revenue rose 2.8% in the first quarter of the last fiscal year, 17.1% in the second quarter of the last fiscal year and 9.5% in the third quarter of the last fiscal year before increasing again in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year of the last fiscal year.

Stock Price Performance: Between March 1, 2012 and April 27, 2012, the stock price had fallen $3.07 (-5%), from $61.84 to $58.77. The stock price saw one of its best stretches over the last year between December 19, 2011 and December 27, 2011, when shares rose for six straight days, increasing 8.1% (+$3.79) over that span. It saw one of its worst periods between December 9, 2011 and December 19, 2011 when shares fell for seven straight days, dropping 10.3% (-$5.40) over that span.